Today's Tyrannydev diary is the first in a new series of updates introducing the game's companions, starting off with Barik, warrior of the Disfavored. You might remember Barik as the heavily armored fellow from last month's gameplay preview. It turns out that's not a natural condition.

Barik is the quintessential Disfavored soldier. He embodies all of the rigid and uncompromising values that Graven Ashe’s iron legion holds dear. He’s polite, respectful of authority, and doggedly intolerant of anyone born outside of the Overlord’s long shadow.

He began his career with the Disfavored in the phalanx – his size and strength made him a perfect addition to the shield wall. His strong nerve and unwavering obedience quickly drew the eye of his superiors. Barik received several battlefield promotions before drawing the eye of Archon Graven Ashe, leader of the Disfavored. Once the Great General knew his name, Barik quickly ascended to the ranks of the Iron Guard – Ashe’s select group of advisors and lieutenants.

It was one desperate mission that led to Barik’s undoing. During the war against the Tiers, Barik did not retreat with the rest of the Disfavored when word came that the Overlord Kyros was about to proclaim an Edict upon the realm of Stalwart. Instead, he joined a select group that embarked on a daring rescue mission to the heart of Sentinel Stand Keep. When the Edict struck and ruined any chance of success, Barik faced a harsher punishment than disgrace. Unlike the rest of his squad, he survived to witness Kyros’ judgment on Stalwart.

As Kyros’ Edict of Storms swept across the land, Barik was caught in the magical winds – winds that bore the weapons and armor of Barik’s phalanx and the enemies they fought. When the initial onslaught of the Edict subsided, Barik was found still alive, but trapped in a prison of twisted blades. To this day, Barik wears his armor of fused iron and bronze – durable protection, yet an unyielding mark of his failure. No one has been able to free him from the armor he was sealed into by Kyros’ Edict.

Combat Role

We designed Barik to serve as a much-needed shield to protect the party from danger. Barik stands in the front line, engaging enemies, taunting them into attacking him, and being a damage sink to keep the rest of the party alive.

When designing his talent trees, we looked at a couple of different themes that players could use to specialize him. His ‘Sentinel’ tree focuses on allowing him to maintain control on the battlefield while increasing the amount of damage he can absorb. His ‘Punisher’ tree transforms him into a warrior of retribution, excelling at slaying foes that dare to stand against him.

A few of his notable abilities:

Striking Iron: A strong slashing attack that deals increased damage if the target is actively engaging Barik in combat.

Stance: Phalanx: Barik ‘hunkers down’ into a defensive stance, hiding his body behind his shield. While in this stance, Barik gains a bonus to Armor making him significantly more capable of weathering damage from enemy attacks.

Engagement Attack: A passive ability that grants Barik a free attack on any enemy who engages him.

Blade’s Embrace: As Barik adventures with the Fatebinder, he gains control over the bronze and iron prison that confines him. With this ability, Barik is able to command the weapons in his armor to strike out at nearby targets, dealing increased damage to anyone who is activately engaging him.

We wanted players to see Barik as a protector in battle, but also as a tactical asset. Barik’s Defender’s Charge and Striking Iron abilities are powerful, but they excel the most when players find the right moment to take action. Striking Iron incentivizes standing toe-to-toe with enemy melee units, but isn’t as effective when targeting an enemy archer or spellcaster. Defender’s Charge can move Barik to any ally on the battlefield, effectively saving them, but his relocation may leave his previous position unprotected.

By making strong choices and careful tactical decisions, players can use Barik as a powerful commanding presence, emphasizing his strengths to shift the tide of battle.
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The next dev diary will be about Verse, the female companion from the preview. I wonder if they're going to go through all of the game's companions now.